TEACHING unions delivered a blunt message to Plaid Cymru’s spring conference today to stop messing about with education and give schools the money to work.

The unions told delegates that across Wales that there was a crisis in recruitment and retention, and schools had a £140 million deficit.

Laura Doel, from the head teachers’ union NAHT Cymru, said unions had raised their concerns with the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) that councils were not passing on all the funding for education to schools.

“Schools across Wales lack the resources to deliver core work, let alone curriculum changes and the new additional learning needs (ALN) provisions,” Ms Doel said.

Association of Schools and College Lecturers’ union’s Cath Falcus said: “When we ask our members what is troubling them, the majority say funding and staff.

“Over 70 per cent of our members are finding their workload unmanageable with over half thinking of leaving the profession.”

A head teacher said she was embarrassed by the low pay of teaching assistants, saying: “Leave our curriculum alone, fund education properly, and pay better wages for teaching assistants.”

A shell-shocked Plaid Cymru education spokesman Cefin Campbell said all sectors across Wales were facing a funding crisis caused by 14 years of Tory austerity.

“I want to ensure teaching in Wales is once again a respected profession that people see as a rewarding profession to join,” he said.

Mr Campbell promised the teaching unions that the money for education in the system would reach schools, and that a Plaid government would ensure there was clarity about focusing on improving literacy and numeracy.